


Born For This

by GiuGiu



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Diego Hargreeves-centric, Gen, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, mention of 9/11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 05:16:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19805521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiuGiu/pseuds/GiuGiu
Summary: They were all brainwashed from birth, Diego reads, so much so, that they actually believed they would save the world.He throws the book across the room. “Fuck you,” he tells it. Hating the naked feeling that’s creeping over him. He’s exposed. Bare. Vulnerable.Betrayed. But, he wonders, was he betrayed by his sister?Or by the continuing existence of the world? The world that was supposed to end.Some nights he wishes it would.Or, Sir Reginald really did a number on his kids and Diego is no exception.





	Born For This

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from The Score's "Born For This" which I listened to a lot while writing this fic. Here's a link:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ5IzGBnWAc
> 
> If you're one of my lovely HS AU readers, I am writing chapter 4 right now! I'm just struggling with writer's block.

1989

“They were born to fulfill a purpose.” Sir Reginald Hargreeves tells Dr. Pogo as they stand in the nursery and survey the mansion’s most recently purchased collection.

1994

“You were born for this.” Dad reminds them as they run laps around the courtyard. So Number Two takes a deep breath and pushes himself harder. Dad says they’re going to save the world one day, and they need to be ready. He knows what’s expected of him.

Number Three elbows him in the ribs when he tries to pass her. “Hey!” he shouts, more indignant than hurt. He runs faster and pushes her roughly.

Dad watches her fall and says nothing. 

That night, Three has bloody knees, and Two’s upset because he didn’t even finish his laps first. Number One proudly eats his bowl of vanilla ice cream after supper, the crowned victor.

1997

“You were born for this.” Dad threatens Two with a raised eyebrow and a sharp tone. And Two knows he was born with his gifts for a reason. He has a duty to use them to save the world one day. Because one day the world will need to be saved, and if he never practices using them, then he’ll fail.

At least that’s what Dad always says.

So Two knows he needs to do his private training. But… does it have to be so scary? Two takes a deep breath and lets go of the tank’s rim, letting the lead weights around his ankles pull him down down down. When he reaches the bottom he sees Dad check his pocket watch. The air in his lungs is sitting, pressing heavily, trying to escape. 

So Two lets it out, watching the bubbles scurry back to the surface. When his lungs empty out the panic sets in. He knows better than to suck in a mouthful of water but the agony of fighting the instinct to breathe in is excruciating.

He’s done this enough times now that he knows better than to take the weights off his feet. Dad will decide when he can come up, and until that happens, Two has to wait. 

Two isn’t sure how long he’s been in the tank when Dad gets up and leaves, turning the light off as he goes.

So Two waits in the dark, fighting the urge to breathe. And because there isn’t anything else to do, he thinks. He thinks about saving the world. Maybe there will be a monster to fight. He can picture it, a big sea monster swallowing up islands. And his siblings will try to fight it but they won’t be able to do it because they won’t be able to stay under water long enough.

So Two will do it by himself. The world will be saved because he practiced using his power. And then he’ll get a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

1999

“We were born for this.” Diego tells Vanya when she asks to join them. It’s another way of saying  _ no _ . 

2000

“B-but you were b-b-born for this.” Diego replies without thinking.

Klaus had crawled into his bed, which was okay because Dad was only recording odd numbers tonight. His brother had shoved his face into Diego’s shoulder and mumbled “I wish I didn’t have to  _ go there _ .”

Klaus pulls away.

2001

“I thought we were born for this.” Allison whispers as they all watch the news footage of a plane crashing into a tower. And in that moment, Diego wonders if they all just failed, because it certainly feels like the world is ending.

2002

“We were born for this.” Luther declares like they don’t already know that. It’s their first real mission so Diego was hoping for a more impressive pep-talk. He rolls his eyes and swallows hard, the adrenaline thrumming through his veins is making him nauseous but he refuses to puke in front of everyone.

When he discreetly glances around he notices that Ben doesn’t look any better than Diego feels.

The difference is, when the mission is over and they’re all lined up in front of the bank like they had rehearsed, Diego’s nausea is replaced with pride. He’s proud of himself for getting closer to fulfilling his birthright. 

Ben’s nausea isn’t replaced with anything. When vanilla ice cream is scooped up for everyone (except Vanya) after supper, Ben doesn’t eat any.

2003

“I’m telling you, I’m born for this!” Five shouts one day while Diego just happens to be passing his bedroom. It isn’t strange to hear Five shouting, but Diego’s bored and a little nosey, so he eavesdrops.

“But Dad doesn’t want you to try it… Maybe he has a good reason.” Vanya says in her quiet way that always sets Diego a little on edge. 

“Dad doesn’t know anything! He’s always making us push our limits, but only if it’s his idea! Why do we always have to follow his orders?” Diego leaves, Five’s rants are a common occurrence these days. His brother talks the talk, but he’s never actually defied an order. 

That night Diego tries to ignore the tension pouring off of Five in waves and instead watches Klaus not so subtly roll a joint under the table.

When Five storms out, they continue eating like nothing happened. 

Three days later, Dad has Pogo hang a portrait of their brother on the wall.

2004

“Just try! You were born to do this!” Luther shouts at Klaus. And all Diego can think is:  _ this really isn’t the time.  _ He dodges a punch aimed his way and flings a knife behind him, trusting his abilities enough to not check if it hit his intended target.

“What, you think it’s that easy?” Klaus yells back. “You think I can just snap my fingers and get an all-access pass to whoever I want?”

Ben’s tentacled horrors are ripping through the room and Diego cringes as a stray spray of blood hits his cheek. He wipes it away.

“It could be, if you weren’t getting high all the time!” 

In his brothers’ defense, Five only disappeared two weeks ago. The loss is fresh in all of their minds and morale is low. If Diego were Number One he would be trying to fix that, not yell at Klaus for not summoning Five.

Five might not even be dead.

“I heard a rumor you both shut the hell up!” Allison screams at Luther and Klaus while delivering a perfect roundhouse kick to some guy’s face.

Diego would really like to just save the world already. The longer it takes, the longer he has to put up with his siblings.

2005

“Wow!” The lady says in her high-pitched voice that makes Diego’s skin crawl. “It’s like you guys were born to be superheroes!”

Diego hates this part. Saving lives? Awesome. Being famous? Absolute crap. He’s pretty sure interviews were designed to be as torturous as possible. He stares at the lady in disbelief. There is no “like” about it. They were born to save the world.

They have to have been born to save the world.

Otherwise, what’s the point?

2006

“Were we born  _ for this _ ?” Diego asks Klaus as they sit in Klaus’ room passing a joint back and forth. They’re still dressed in their stiff funeral suits.

Klaus stares at a spot in the corner.

“I don’t want to do this anymore.” Diego confesses.

Klaus doesn’t acknowledge him.

Diego says sorry to Ben’s statue. Flips off Five’s portrait. Then leaves.

2008

_ Maybe, _ Diego hopes,  _ maybe this is what I was born to do. _

All because he gave up on saving the world, doesn’t mean he gave up on saving people. But before he signs up for the academy, he changes his name. Whether it’s to hide from Dad or his destiny, he doesn’t know.

2009

“I was born for this.” Diego reassures himself as he sinks a knife into a man’s back, the familiar sound relaxing him. He missed this.

Sir Reginald really fucked him up.

2010

“We aren’t meant to be together.” Eudora tells him gently. And Diego thinks he’s tired of people telling him what he is or isn’t meant to be doing. 

He also really needs to be told what to do.

2014

_ They were all brainwashed from birth, _ Diego reads,  _ so much so, that they actually believed they would save the world. _

He throws the book across the room. “Fuck you,” he tells it. Hating the naked feeling that’s creeping over him. He’s exposed. Bare. Vulnerable.

Betrayed. But, he wonders, was he betrayed by his sister?

Or by the continuing existence of the world? The world that was supposed to end.

Some nights he wishes it would.

2019

“If only Sir Reginald could see us now.” Diego murmurs bitterly as a large piece of the moon hurtles toward Earth.

  
  



End file.
